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Friday, January 27, 2017

My next Race-cation is coming up! Please don't judge me.

I really want to run in NYC, but I don't have the guts to run the full marathon. The thought has crossed my mind to do the 5K but it's a pretty pricey endeavor for a 5K that doesn't even give a medal to show for it.

I found the NYC United Airlines half marathon a few years back but the March race date always became a deterrent. After completing my last Disney Race on my bucket list ( the Wine n Dine), it became more apparent that there were other races I wanted to run so I set some intentions to run big city races and of course NYC would HAVE to be one of them.

So, I'll be running the New York City half marathon this March.

I did not get into the lottery, Scott purchased the race registration for me for Christmas through a travel partner which honestly was the best way to do it. By going through the travel partner we are getting top notch hotel accommodations and race day transportation taken care of as well as some other incidentals. This is a huge relief for me as I would have stressed out about trying to find the best hotel and on how to navigate to the start line by myself.

Okay, so here is the part where I ask you not to judge me. I'm pretty sure this race is going to be a one and done for me (but then again I said that about my first marathon), but really, I'm pretty sure. For this reason I want to concentrate on just taking in the experience and not having ANY time goals. I'll do what I can and that will be it.

I know I often say I have no time goals but secretly in my mind I usually have a time to beat (don't we all do that?). But this time it is different for several reasons.

1. Training takes place in the winter and that is when I am LEAST motivated to run. Plus, I have a lot of personal things going on now until the end of March so that is eating up some of my time. Honestly, I'm going to do just enough to get by and keep from getting injured. (Don't judge me). I'm not working on speed here.

*Edit: The weather here has been nicer than expected so perhaps I will be able to get more outdoor runs in than I had originally anticipated (If I can find the time).

2. I know another thing that will slow me down are the hills in Central Park. I don't have hills to train on here but I am doing more incline runs on the treadmill.

3. I'm prepared for race day to be MISERABLE (I mean weather wise). I'm prepared for colder temps up in NY and gusty winds (especially on the bridge).

4. I'll be running by myself. I don't actually mind running by myself, it just means that I can run my own pace and do my own thing and not feel obligated to keep up or slow down to someone else's pace. However, when I run with my sister I do feel like she keeps me motivated.

5. My only goal is to just finish and grab a few iconic pics along the way.

I already know for these reasons that this will be a tough race for me mentally, but I'm looking forward to it!

61 comments:

Sounds like that will be a great race experience! I have also wanted to do a NYC race but the timing hasn't been right. Hopefully the winter will continue to be somewhat mild so you can get all your training in!

I'd gladly trade places with you! Those race day conditions sound like my daily experience here in Iowa ;-) And, I think it's fine to run a race without the "necessary" racing mindset.Heck, as you probably know, that's kind of my theme for 2017!

My problem is the opposite -- training for a location that might be warm in March over the winter! Our winter might be mild, but even mild, we're really lucky to see 40.

Central Park is hilly, but they're not killer (well, there are some killer hills in there, but I'm pretty sure they're not on the race course).

I don't think there's anything wrong with not having a time goal at all. I'll probably always secretly have one for every race, too, but I tend to do best when I don't think about them much. UT will be about enjoying the scenery -- even though they claim it's a fast course, I'm not so sure, but it doesn't matter, it should be beautiful!

This sounds like a great race experience! And no judgment here :) I feel like iconic races like NYC should be enjoyed and taken in. The travel provider sounds like a good idea. I didn't know that was an option for doing the NYC half.

Oh, I'm so excited you'll be there after all! Can you explain the travel partner thing to me? Where will you be staying? You know, I sort of have a similar approach to this race. When I push to PR my local races I am so focused I my Garmin I hardly notice the scenery, but that's OK, since I saw the scenery on my training runs. For this race, I want to do well, but enjoying the course is more important! And yes, there are some serious hills -- or at least one very serious one! -- at the north end of Central Park.

This looks like an amazing race! Have so much fun and enjoy taking in the whole experience! I'm like you - I would much rather book something like this through a travel agent because I would be so lost! Haha!

I just started training for my first ultra in April, so I'll be training through the winter. But winters in Vegas are relatively mild, so I'm actually looking forward to the training. I am a little nervous about race day, though. I heard that 2 years ago it was cold and rainy, and last year it was super hot, so it will be a bit of a dice roll.

Running in NYC is definitely on my bucket list! I would love to run the full, but the whole lottery thing kind of scares me. The half sounds fun, too! I would never judge you for doing minimal training and racing without a time goal. That's how many of my half were run. I'm all about just enjoying the race. :-)

No judging from me! I think, especially when you are doing a destination race, that it's only right to take in all of the sights, especially enough to enjoy and remember the race. I can't tell you how many blogs I've read where they've gone somewhere spectacular for a race and don't remember the scenery at all. That seems sad to me. I like how you're doing the race, with the hotel and transportation as well - we have stayed at the host hotel for Houston (MANY BIG $$$) and it's been so nice to walk right out to the expo and the start line. Worth it, if you ask me.

At this point, my one goal is to not get injured. I'm not judging at all, and honestly, I've found when I don't have time goals, I have much more fun compared to when I do. The pressure for a time takes away from the fun.

No judgment here, I think it's awesome you're running the NYC half. I'd love to run that. Coming from a mega hill pansy, I've never found the hills in CP to be an issue. Maybe they weren't part of the marathon but I've run there other times and still. Just have a blast, soak it in and enjoy!

Oh, This sounds like so much fun! I haven't done a destination race in a long time but I think the just-for-fun-no-time-goal is a good approach since I'd want to sightsee before and after the race without worrying about getting tired out or being sore. I have never really wanted to travel or run NYC - I don't know why! But I do like to read recaps when other people go there.

This is so cool, the one NYC city race I've always wanted to do ..it's on my running bucket list. It's always around my hubby's birthday, so one day I hope we can both get in ....what a fabulous way to spend a birthday, right??? I think you are wise to just focus on the experience. I mean, how many opportunities does one get to do races like this? I love the energy of NYC and it will be enough to get you through the miles!

You are going to have so much fun! Even if the weather is cruddy. Also, if you love it maybe you'll want to run the marathon. It's magical and the only race I've even ran that truly lives up to the hype. Can't wait to hear about your experience!

This sounds awesome! Big cities can stress me out with their logistics so I think you were so smart to go with a travel provider. I did the marathon with marathon tours and it was an excellent choice! I'm so excited for you! And seriously no judgement at all for going and enjoying a great race in an incredible city!

I am super excited for you! Mostly because you have great accommodations and all the race day details already taken care of for you. What an awesome present. I hope you get enough training in and that the weather is calm that day so you can really enjoy the experience. :)

There should never be judging when it comes to someone else's running goals! Personally, running (especially races) is all about living in the moment and taking it all in...food for the soul! Best of luck on your winter training!

I'm running NYC too! Like you I'm pretty sure this will be a one and one for me too - a check off my bucket list. No judgement here - I see no problem with running the race for the experience. I'll be going into this race undertrained for sure so I hear you on the no time goals.

I love that you have all your travel sorted out - a huge stress for me! How does the whole travel partner work? Great gift from your husband!

I've heard amazing things about that half. I hope you'll have a great time!

Here in AZ, winter running is the best running. We do have chilly temps, but nothing like other places. That's why it's really rough to do a fall marathon if you live in AZ- training in the summer here is brutal.

I think if you have milestones along the way for photos stops, it'll go by pretty quickly. I like the idea of taking it all in. I'd love to run NYC one day, but I totally agree: I don't want to run the full. (The waiting around between the shuttle and start time really freaks me out for the full!). Have fun!!

Fairytales and Fitness is a personal blog authored and edited by us, Meranda and Lacey. The thoughts expressed here represent only our own and are not meant to be taken as professional advice. Please note that our thoughts and opinions change from time to time. We consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind in an ever changing society. Any thoughts and opinions expressed within our out-of-date posts may not be the same, nor even similar, to those we may express today. Some links may contain affiliate links. Some links are just to pages we'd like to share.

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We are two sisters who are runners and Disney lovers. On this blog we tell our stories of traveling, training, races, ( and a few tips we've learned along the way). We talk about products we've tried and all the things that bring us joy (including our yellow Labradors). Thanks for visiting and we hope you enjoy what you read.